Forbes Interview on BFA Warcraft Storytelling and Azshara Cinematic

Forbes interviewed Senior Designer Steve Burke and Senior Narrative Designer Steve Danuser on Battle for Azeroth storytelling, with a special note on Azshara at the end, as Warbringers: Azshara will launch in a few hours.\r\rClick here to read the full Forbes interview!\r\rAs has been covered in many interviews so far, the Blizzard team discusses the increased narrative complexity of Battle for Azeroth and the challenges of designing two distinctive storylines for the Alliance and Horde. While the article doesn't necessarily reveal anything news-worthy, there's a lot of nuance and rich details if you're interested in storytelling, so definitely check the full article out!\r\rBlizzard also wants cinematics, and other forms of media, to better-enhance the in-game story instead of existing in isolation. They gave the example of the "Three Sisters" comic as a good opportunity to tell an effective story through a comic, as it would have been portrayed poorly in-game with your character evasedropping and slowly following NPCs around. \r\rLong sequences of talking, exposition, explaining, character interaction, that's not what WoW is best at. People are in there to play to advance their characters and to experience stories, of course, but standing around watching NPCs, characters in the world talking to one another, that's not our strength. For example, the Three Sisters comic that we released recently, we knew that it made sense from a story perspective that after we got Alleria Windrunner back from the Argus Campaign against Sargeras, that there would have to be a meeting between the three Windrunner sisters. The story demanded it. If we had put that in game, it would've been following these three NPCs around, watching them do stuff. Then it's weird that you're eavesdropping on this family reunion that happens after all this time.\r\rThat was a natural case where we said, "Look, let's put this in a medium where it will make the most sense and where we can tell the best story." The comic where you can see those characters come to life, where you can see what they were doing, and how they looked at one another, how they reacted when Sylvanas banshees out, or when Alleria goes into void form, we can see tangible looks on their faces that told the story for us. That was just a great example of where we could leverage another medium that helps us tell the story in a better way than we could within the game.\r\rThey're also looking to make in-game cinematics even better, as some character animations don't hold up when the camera zooms in:\r\rOne of the interesting things is that a lot of our character animations were created back when the camera was really far away from characters all the time, and so you had to have that overly theatrical presentation. Now with a lot of these cut scenes, the camera is right in close on characters, and those kinds of things don't hold up as well. We're always talking about how can we improve on that, how can we evolve the storytelling techniques and technology to improve that. That's something you'll see us continue to work on going forward.\r\rWith the Azshara cinematic revealed in mere hours, Forbes asked a question on the approach to the cinematic. Azshara is an important lore character, but we haven't really interacted with her before outside of a few brief quests. We know she's quite powerful, but much of her details are unknown--for example, Blizzard only confirmed very recently in Chronicles Volume 3 that she was working with N'Zoth.\r\rNewman: In the new Azshara short today, are you treating her as a new character? Are you assuming that folks will know the lore of what her role as been to date in Warcraft? How do you approach a character like that, that's likely to be a major player in the future, but perhaps not as memorable for players as other characters that they've gotten to interact with on a more frequent basis?\r\rBurke: Hopefully the Warbringer cinematic will help refresh people's memory a little bit about where our character came from. I've been here for a lot of releases, and it's always, "When are we going to play with Azshara?" That time finally getting here is really exciting for me. It's a really interesting character. I think that we'll be able to bring people up to speed pretty well. We're at war right now. It's a really special time. It's the first time in the history of World of Warcraft that we've been able to play in that environment, story-wise. We've still got a little bit to tell there, leading up to some reveals. We wanted to make sure that players were aware that she's watching.\r\rDanuser: There's a reason that she is the third of our Warbringers in this series. We did really want to feature her here. Without giving anything away about the cinematic, once you see it, I think you'll have a much deeper understanding, as Steve said, about what she is and what that history is. It's going to be a really fun opportunity to see her storyline advance in the content patches that will be coming.\r\rIf you'd like to learn more about Azshara and get up to speed on her presence in Legion and BFA, check out our Queen Azshara Recap.

Commenti

Commento di dustinalex

on 2018-08-24T10:30:00-05:00

"Without giving anything away about the cinematic, once you see it, I think you'll have a much deeper understanding, as Steve said, about what she is and what that history is. It's going to be a really fun opportunity to see her storyline advance in the content patches that will be coming."\r\rOmgomgomgomgomg SO EXCITED!

Commento di infernobeckons

on 2018-08-24T10:30:30-05:00

"we knew that it made sense from a story perspective that after we got Alleria Windrunner back from the Argus Campaign against Sargeras, that there would have to be a meeting between the three Windrunner sisters"\r\rWhat about Illidan, Tyrande and Malfurion? They didn't make sense from a story perspective?

Commento di perculia

on 2018-08-24T10:32:25-05:00

"we knew that it made sense from a story perspective that after we got Alleria Windrunner back from the Argus Campaign against Sargeras, that there would have to be a meeting between the three Windrunner sisters"\r\rWhat about Illidan, Tyrande and Malfurion? They didn't make sense from a story perspective?\r\rAgreed there, maybe that was already done because the storytelling stuff really started with BFA, and Legion had less resources. There are a lto of Legion moments that would have benefitted with all these extra stories (and wouldn't have been as controversial or confusing as the pre-patch).

Commento di Tinkerer

on 2018-08-24T10:32:49-05:00

"Long sequences of talking, exposition, explaining, character interaction, that's not what WoW is best at. People are in there to play to advance their characters and to experience stories, of course, but standing around watching NPCs, characters in the world talking to one another, that's not our strength. "\r\rReally? They've done this fairly effectively in the past - Suramar's band of revolutionaries are really well defined throughout its questline, and are likeable characters who we didn't know before. Sure, characterization has to take a backseat to also doing quest stuff, but I don't think WoW is that badly suited to this. The <Stay a while and listen.> events helped, too.

Commento di Jureru

on 2018-08-24T10:33:51-05:00

I love how the story is told. We are given different media to get to know about the background and the characters. The quality is always wonderful and lovely. I am looking forward the new warbringers. I am playing WoW since WoD and Aszhara was always a person, you just heard mysteries and legends about. Now I experience her live. I am excited!

Commento di perculia

on 2018-08-24T10:35:04-05:00

"Long sequences of talking, exposition, explaining, character interaction, that's not what WoW is best at. People are in there to play to advance their characters and to experience stories, of course, but standing around watching NPCs, characters in the world talking to one another, that's not our strength. "

Really? They've done this fairly effectively in the past - Suramar's band of revolutionaries are really well defined throughout its questline, and are likeable characters who we didn't know before. Sure, characterization has to take a backseat to also doing quest stuff, but I don't think WoW is that badly suited to this. The <Stay a while and listen.> events helped, too.

I think the difference here is that you're helping the revolutionaries so it makes sense you're interacting--but how would that work in Three Sisters? Suddenly, we'd know that Vereesa was thinking of joining Sylvanas, or on the Horde side, that Sylvanas wanted to murder her sisters. Then we'd need story as to why we were not only there in the first place, but also chose to stay silent on this major info.

But it would be cool if there was a necklace or something you could click on at Windrunner Spire, and a few ghostly NPCs or some reference popped up, to hint that there's more story there if you aren't aware of the comics. Just to mark the presence in the game.

Commento di Tinkerer

on 2018-08-24T10:41:27-05:00

"Long sequences of talking, exposition, explaining, character interaction, that's not what WoW is best at. People are in there to play to advance their characters and to experience stories, of course, but standing around watching NPCs, characters in the world talking to one another, that's not our strength. "\r\rReally? They've done this fairly effectively in the past - Suramar's band of revolutionaries are really well defined throughout its questline, and are likeable characters who we didn't know before. Sure, characterization has to take a backseat to also doing quest stuff, but I don't think WoW is that badly suited to this. The <Stay a while and listen.> events helped, too.\r\rI think the difference here is that you're helping the revolutionaries so it makes sense you're interacting--but how would that work in Three Sisters? Suddenly, we'd know that Vereesa was thinking of joining Sylvanas, or on the Horde side, that Sylvanas wanted to murder her sisters. Then we'd need story as to why we were not only there in the first place, but also chose to stay silent on this major info.\r\rBut it would be cool if there was a necklace or something you could click on at Windrunner Spire, and a few ghostly NPCs or some reference popped up, to hint that there's more story there if you aren't aware of the comics. Just to mark the presence in the game.\r\rYeah, something like that would already help a lot - I get slightly miffed when something huge seems to have happened, and I wonder if I missed something, only to read online that "it was all in this or that book". Like, come on - this is significant in the game itself, so it should also at least in CliffNotes form be told in-game, as well.

Commento di 1809537

on 2018-08-24T10:44:00-05:00

This post was from a user who has deleted their account.

Commento di darkelemental1

on 2018-08-24T11:39:45-05:00

I love how the story is told. We are given different media to get to know about the background and the characters. The quality is always wonderful and lovely. I am looking forward the new warbringers. I am playing WoW since WoD and Aszhara was always a person, you just heard mysteries and legends about. Now I experience her live. I am excited!\r\rI should NEVER have to look outside the game for important lore. Its only gotten worse over the years to the point where now you all but have to read multiple books for even minor quests to make sense. Its asinine and bad game design. The game is failing to tell a coherant story on its own anymore, thats entirely on the devs and writers. The Lorewalker Cho lore stories at the seat of knowledge were an excellent way to get background lore across and should have had the idea expanded on rather than telling me to buy another poorly written Christe Golden book.\r\rThat aside these Forbes interviews are not good. We see them being used to push opinions as facts by the devs in yet another safe space interview far away from players. Its not communication with the players so much as to stockholders and they paint everything rose tinted because of it, these are the same interviews where they claimed everyone loved the leveling changes and WoD despite massive backlash about both.

Commento di Felsuria

on 2018-08-24T11:52:13-05:00

I thought Three Sisters was a great idea and execution, because it developed the established characters, and though it added a small bit of twisted clarification to Sylvanas's later ambitions, it wasn't a massive chunk of the story you'd miss out on if you didn't read it.\rThe Collector's Edition novels were very much a different case, as the foundational pillars of character ambition and direction were there, but absent from the game, to the point where you could come to radically different speculations if you only played the game and didn't read the novels, or if you read and played.\r\rAt least that's how I felt.\r\rIn my opinion, the novels and comics are at their best when they bring layers to characters and the world without being the only source of important plot information of the primary game. At the very least, that information should be available somewhere in the game after the novel has been out for a day or five.

Commento di Jakerling777

on 2018-08-24T11:55:03-05:00

Let me guess.. we will see yet another great and important NE character being completely destroyed and butchered. \r\rMy guess is: One dimensional mustache twirling Villian like Sylvanas.\r\rEvery depiction of Azshara in game so far has been that of a super hot, one dimensional, evil monologuing, mustache twirling, villain. I think expecting that from one of the most notorious, behind the scenes villains in WoW is acceptable. Ever since Sylvanas burned the tree everyone is so negative towards all character development. Let's all stop crying and see what happens. And "completely destroyed and butchered".....dramatic much? We will see more development of Tyrande and the Night elves.

Commento di Jureru

on 2018-08-24T12:04:12-05:00

I love how the story is told. We are given different media to get to know about the background and the characters. The quality is always wonderful and lovely. I am looking forward the new warbringers. I am playing WoW since WoD and Aszhara was always a person, you just heard mysteries and legends about. Now I experience her live. I am excited!\r\rI should NEVER have to look outside the game for important lore. Its only gotten worse over the years to the point where now you all but have to read multiple books for even minor quests to make sense. Its asinine and bad game design. The game is failing to tell a coherant story on its own anymore, thats entirely on the devs and writers. The Lorewalker Cho lore stories at the seat of knowledge were an excellent way to get background lore across and should have had the idea expanded on rather than telling me to buy another poorly written Christe Golden book.\r\rThat aside these Forbes interviews are not good. We see them being used to push opinions as facts by the devs in yet another safe space interview far away from players. Its not communication with the players so much as to stockholders and they paint everything rose tinted because of it, these are the same interviews where they claimed everyone loved the leveling changes and WoD despite massive backlash about both.\r\r\rWe are at a time that it is very easy to get information out of the game. You just need to watch wow homepage, where they inform about the comic of the windrunner sisters. It is lore which is not that fundamental as if you would miss any clue in the game.\rSo what about lore being written ingame? It is a media you can get to know the facts but not emotions or expression because everyone can read it in in his own mind and interpret it different. In a comic or short video you are able witness the emotions and expression how devs imagined it. The books are optional. You watch star wars movies but there alot books aside diving deeper in the family background of the main parts. Still you get the universe of star wars through the films, right? I see this in WoW, too. You have the more important stuff going on in the game but optional things aside. And that is okay for me. In our time you are able to get mostly free sidelore next to game itself. Why should I complain about it?\r\rAnd just maybe you think everything is getting horrible and horrible, I think your just not able to expand your mind or opinion.

Commento di darkelemental1

on 2018-08-24T12:35:40-05:00

I love how the story is told. We are given different media to get to know about the background and the characters. The quality is always wonderful and lovely. I am looking forward the new warbringers. I am playing WoW since WoD and Aszhara was always a person, you just heard mysteries and legends about. Now I experience her live. I am excited!\r\rI should NEVER have to look outside the game for important lore. Its only gotten worse over the years to the point where now you all but have to read multiple books for even minor quests to make sense. Its asinine and bad game design. The game is failing to tell a coherant story on its own anymore, thats entirely on the devs and writers. The Lorewalker Cho lore stories at the seat of knowledge were an excellent way to get background lore across and should have had the idea expanded on rather than telling me to buy another poorly written Christe Golden book.\r\rThat aside these Forbes interviews are not good. We see them being used to push opinions as facts by the devs in yet another safe space interview far away from players. Its not communication with the players so much as to stockholders and they paint everything rose tinted because of it, these are the same interviews where they claimed everyone loved the leveling changes and WoD despite massive backlash about both.\r\r\rWe are at a time that it is very easy to get information out of the game. You just need to watch wow homepage, where they inform about the comic of the windrunner sisters. It is lore which is not that fundamental as if you would miss any clue in the game.\rSo what about lore being written ingame? It is a media you can get to know the facts but not emotions or expression because everyone can read it in in his own mind and interpret it different. In a comic or short video you are able witness the emotions and expression how devs imagined it. The books are optional. You watch star wars movies but there alot books aside diving deeper in the family background of the main parts. Still you get the universe of star wars through the films, right? I see this in WoW, too. You have the more important stuff going on in the game but optional things aside. And that is okay for me. In our time you are able to get mostly free sidelore next to game itself. Why should I complain about it?\r\rAnd just maybe you think everything is getting horrible and horrible, I think your just not able to expand your mind or opinion.\r\rThats a lot of word salad but you didnt really say anything. The books are not optional, WoD being a prime example. If you follow just from the game there is no indication how the story went from Garrosh captured to suddenly alternate timelines. Its only covered in the books. Things like this occur multiple times and in growing numbers across WoW story telling. The actual base story of WoW is fundamentally gone from leveling as well as you, from a lore perspective, jump around timelines depending on the zone you go to next. WoW lacks cohesiveness in its storytelling and the way they fix their own failure is to get Golden to write another terrible book then tell you to buy it. \r\rTrying to compare it to Star Wars is laughable. Like the story or not its complete in its telling and does not require outside information to make sense, the books are flavor and side stories. WoW fails at this and requires books to fill in the gaps of its unfinished storytelling.\r\rI am all for the books telling deeper side stories or giving flavor to the overall world, but when I have to read them just to know the basic story then there is a problem.

Commento di murlocomlette

on 2018-08-24T14:18:24-05:00

I don't like that you have to go outside the game to figure out what's going on in the story either, but the devs have been VERY clear that they are fully behind this multi-media approach to storytelling. So, it's here to stay. And, it's clear that from their perspective, they're not going to shy away from leveraging the lore to sell products in other spaces, no matter how much hand wringing some of us may have. \r\rLuckily, in the age of "data mining", there's always someone who will write a brief article (now if only people would make 30 second brief videos as well) summarizing things, so while it's nowhere close to ideal, it's a relatively palatable avenue available to us if we don't actually want to buy and read a bunch of mediocre novels, etc.

Commento di nonamegiven

on 2018-08-24T17:21:37-05:00

The whole issue of storytelling about the game that's told outside of the game itself is a bit murky, but here's my general opinion on it:

If it's a novel being sold that tells a story about the history of Warcraft, or some side story unrelated to the story currently being told in-game, I'm fine with it.

If it's an online comic or short story that has important parts of the story that aren't available in game, but the comic\/story is made available online for free... it's not ideal, but I can stomach it.

If you're hiding significant sections of the game's current storyline in a novel, and you're telling me "well of course the game's story doesn't make sense, you need to pay for the novel to figure out what the hell's going on", then you can buzz right off.

Essentially, if I am already paying for the game, I should not have to pay more just for the story to make sense. What is in the game itself should be able to stand on its own, and the comics\/novels should be supplementary at best.

Commento di BerettaNEWarrior

on 2018-08-28T04:36:57-05:00

The whole issue of storytelling about the game that's told outside of the game itself is a bit murky, but here's my general opinion on it:\r\rIf it's a novel being sold that tells a story about the history of Warcraft, or some side story unrelated to the story currently being told in-game, I'm fine with it.\r\rIf it's an online comic or short story that has important parts of the story that aren't available in game, but the comic\/story is made available online for free... it's not ideal, but I can stomach it.\r\rIf you're hiding significant sections of the game's current storyline in a novel, and you're telling me "well of course the game's story doesn't make sense, you need to pay for the novel to figure out what the hell's going on", then you can buzz right off.\r\rEssentially, if I am already paying for the game, I should not have to pay more just for the story to make sense. What is in the game itself should be able to stand on its own, and the comics\/novels should be supplementary at best.\r\rYeah, this. Because I dislike feeling expoited. \r\rBecause while I understand that Blizzard is a business and WoW is a product the far side of trying to use my fandom as a crowbar for prying more money from me is my walking away altogether.\r\rIf I alone do so that's as close to immaterial as it gets. If 5 million other people decide they're done being nakedly abused and they hit the road than Blizz gets to go from wanting literally all the money to not getting any of it. And I feel like there's room in the middle somewhere between making 90 million a month at $15 a go (no count the bi-annual expansions of course) and WoW finally becoming top corpse in the pit of Dead MMOs.